Since I became Mayor, we have faced countless crises, from a historic snowstorm, to wildfire smoke that choked our communities, to infrastructure challenges in bridges and piers, a once-in-a-century pandemic, and this past week, the hottest two days in Seattle’s history. Over the past week, the City worked around-the-clock to open over 30 cooling centers, staff up our beaches, spray parks and pools, and offer resources and shelter to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. I am incredibly grateful to our City workforce for consistently responding to protect the health and safety of our communities.
We’re also approaching a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This week marked the statewide reopening, where capacity limits at our businesses, homes, and events are lifted, and we can once again come together as a community. We were able to reach this point – which came so much sooner than expected – because of our work together to combat COVID-19. Seattle has the lowest COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths of any major American city, and more than 80 percent of our residents have begun the vaccination process, and 75 percent are fully vaccinated.
As we safely reopen as a city and state, we must focus on one of our biggest challenges ahead: recovery in neighborhoods across Seattle. Last week, I announced our Road to Downtown Recovery plan, which outlines key actions the City is taking to bring small businesses, workers, and visitors back downtown.
With the return of tourism, people from across the country are traveling to Seattle, which is known as one of the safest cities in the country because of our work on vaccinations. The waterfront and market are thriving. As we celebrate reopening of Seattle, one core element for our residents and businesses is our Welcome Back Weeks, which will occur from July 12 – 26, and will feature promotions across downtown neighborhoods and large-scale events will take place in the Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, and Westlake. You can find more details on each event here.
The City is proud to host these events with a focus on supporting local BIPOC artists and musicians, small businesses, and community-based and neighborhood organizations. Our Welcome Back Weeks are about celebrating what makes Seattle the best city in the country, and I hope you and your loved ones come back downtown to celebrate alongside us! Bring your friends, family, and neighbors, and enjoy our beautiful Seattle summers and everything our local artists, small businesses, and community organizations have to offer!
Here’s to a shared, equitable recovery.
Dr. Sam Arbabi speaks about devastating fireworks injuries seen at Harborview Medical Center
With the 4th of July nearly here, the Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police Department would like to provide you with some important reminders about safety, fireworks and how you can help ease the strain on our 911 center during the busy holiday.
With record heat and dry conditions, skip the fireworks this year in Seattle. While we have a lot to celebrate on vaccinations and reopening, the possession, storage, sale and use of fireworks is prohibited in Seattle.
Downtown Seattle
This week, Mayor Durkan transmitted legislation to the City Council to allow more flexibility in permitted uses for empty downtown storefronts as Seattle seeks to revitalize the heart of the city with new shops and businesses. If passed by the City Council, the new temporary proposal would provide flexibility for businesses, artists, and other organizations to activate empty storefronts by allowing art installations, museums, and a greater variety of businesses, among other new options.
“Downtown is Seattle’s economic engine and heartbeat, and it’s up to us to help it come back better than ever for all those who live, work, or visit. As part of our effort to revitalize downtown, we’re making it easier than ever to pursue new, innovative uses for storefronts, like art installations or museums,” said Mayor Durkan. “This temporary change to allow more uses for our storefronts will help restore the vitality of our downtown. Building on my plan to invest in downtown small businesses and recovery, I hope the City Council swiftly passes this bill.”
Residents enjoying the Lake Washington Boulevard Stay Healthy Street
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is excited to bring back the Lake Washington Stay Healthy Streets. Below is the information shared by SDOT last week.
Starting Fourth of July weekend, three (3) miles of Lake Washington Boulevard (from Mt. Baker Park to Seward Park) will open to people walking, rolling, and biking on weekends* and holidays through at least September.
Land Buoy Bells on the Seattle Waterfront
Land Buoy Bells, artwork designed by Stephen Vitiello for the floating dock at Pier 62, was installed on, June 30. This is the first of several permanent artworks that will be installed as part of Waterfront Seattle. Photos are available here.
“We are excited to announce the installation of Land Buoy Bells at Pier 62,” said Marshall Foster, Director of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects. “This commission launches a program of permanent artworks that will be integrated into the Seattle waterfront to help tell the story of the environment and culture of this unique place.”
Funding Will Expand and Enhance Community-Based Programs to Support Student Success and Wellness in Response to COVID-19
This week, the City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) announced $1 million in community investments to enhance summer programs for more than 1,300 K-12 students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded programs are designed to help students better prepare for academic success and social-emotional well-being this fall as students and schools return to full-time learning in the classroom. Programming will occur late June through August 2021.
The Fremont Bridge being watered on Monday
While Seattle was facing record high temperatures, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) was working to keep our roads and bridges cool and safe. Extreme heat can damage roads and bridges! Crews were proactively spraying down steel draw bridges for three days in a row to help keep them cool whenever the temperatures hit 85 degrees or more as part of SDOT’s ongoing bridge maintenance program. This is necessary because the high temperatures can cause the steel to expand and potentially create problems for opening and closing functions.
Officer Lexi Harris
Early Sunday morning on June 13, our daughter, Lexi Harris, was killed when she stopped to help at an accident scene on Interstate 5 south of downtown Seattle. She was headed home after her shift as a Seattle Police officer ended. She had no duty to stop. Hundreds of people sped on by the crash scene. But Lexi stopped to try to get the victims of the crash to safety.
This is who she was and why she decided to become a police officer in Seattle.
Lexi was born in Seattle and was part of a left-leaning family. She went to alternative Seattle public schools. She was a World Trade Organization protester who was tear gassed in front of the Sheraton Hotel on Sixth Avenue in 1999. Not a likely candidate for the Seattle Police Department, but exactly the kind of person they were seeking.
Lexi served SPD for five years during a period of significant change. Before joining the department, she worked as a physical trainer. That experience shaped her attitude about achieving positive change. She understood real change does not happen overnight and requires more than good intentions. A week or a month in the gym was good, but real change comes slowly and only after committed effort.
By Benjamin Cassidy
The city rolls out a slate of festivities as the state rolls back restrictions on activity.
IT’S FINALLY HERE. After 15 months of shutdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic, of quarantine and masking up and streaming endlessly, Washington removed nearly all of its restrictions on social and economic activity today. As of 12:01am this morning, restaurants, bars, and all other businesses can return at full capacity, with the exception of indoor events in excess of 10,000 people. Restaurants can fill their dining rooms, provided they can find the staff. Bar crawls can drag on into the wee hours. Packed gyms, live music, shoulder-to-shoulder Nordstrom browsing—it’s all happening.
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